U.K. media consumption rises

Average spend on digital media falls from $3 to $1.49

LONDON — The dilemma for media owners grappling to make sense of the digital age is encapsulated in a U.K. survey that shows that despite increased media use consumers increasingly expect free access to media.

A survey conducted for the KPMG Media and Entertainment Barometer showed that people who said they would definitely or possibly become a paid subscriber over the coming year were most commonly prepared to pay for music — 55% — and movies — 45%. But they were less prepared to pay for TV — only 30%.

KPMG discovered that the average spend per U.K. consumer on traditional media fell from £9.19 ($14) in September 2009 to £7.46 ($11.3) in March 2010.